2 Cloverleaf volunteer firefighters suspended in fire probe

2 volunteer firefighters suspended10 suspicious fires being probed in Cloverleaf area; other volunteers may be involved

Published 5:30 am, Saturday, August 5, 2006

Two Cloverleaf volunteer firefighters, including one with a felony criminal background, were suspended as the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office investigates 10 suspicious fires that could also involve other volunteer firefighters.

The Harris County Arson Division has interviewed more than 20 firefighters from local fire departments in their investigation of fires in the Cloverleaf and Channelview areas.

The fires occurred during the early morning hours beginning in April. The last fire was reported Wednesday. No one was killed in any of the incidents, but some firefighters had burn injuries.

Arson investigators plan to file felony charges of first-degree arson and obstruction/interference with a police investigation in the coming week, said arson investigator Jerrel Dawkins.

Dawkins said the investigation began after other firefighters raised "issues and concerns" about their colleagues. He said the investigation also includes paid staff at various local fire departments.

Dawkins revealed few details about the investigation. He did not say whether the fires were started to collect insurance or any other monetary gain. All of the eight residential fires occurred in vacant homes.

"It just appears as if someone is looking for something to do," Dawkins said. "Sheer boredom."

What is disheartening, he said, is that one of the suspended Cloverleaf volunteer firefighters, who was with the department for 18 months, was convicted and sentenced to 10 months in jail in 2003 for stealing fire equipment at another fire department where he served.

"Cloverleaf Fire Department has ignored a criminal background check done by the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office and allowed a known felon to be a member of the department," Dawkins said.

Dawkins said volunteer fire departments request criminal background checks from the Fire Marshal's Office, and if an applicant proves to have a criminal record, the fire departments use their own discretion about whether they will be accepted.

"Typically they wouldn't ignore that," he said.

Mischief convictions

Last November, a firefighter from the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department was accused of setting fires to a trash bin outside a warehouse, which he later returned to put out.

Robert Thacker was convicted on two counts of criminal mischief. He received one year on one charge and two years for the other. Thacker had been convicted of felony burglary in 2003, but was able to volunteer at the department after the conviction did not show up in a background check. Officials said that had it turned up, Thacker would not have been allowed to join the department.

Cloverleaf Fire Chief Michael A. Battise said the two, including a 25-year-old who was also convicted of auto theft and a 20-year-old, were suspended Thursday as a result of the arson investigation.

"If charges are filed, then the department will take the next step to remove them from the fire department," he said.

He said the department knew about the conviction and jail time at the time Thacker applied as a volunteer firefighter, but his application was accepted by fellow volunteer firefighters because the crimes were committed when he was a young man.

Under the department's current policy, he said, an applicant has the option of pleading his case before the staff of volunteer firefighters if his application fails the criminal background check. The other volunteer firefighters can then either reject an application or except it based on further review.

'Shocked and surprised'

"I'm angry, I'm shocked and surprised that these two would do it," Battise said. "Especially after giving (the 25-year-old man) a second chance ... (the 20-year-old man) had too many things going for him to even think about doing something like this."

Battise said the other firefighter, who has been with the department since he was 18, had applied with the Houston Fire Department and had recently obtained his firefighter certification from the Houston Community College. He said the man had already taken his civil service exam and was in the process of having a background check conducted to become a Houston firefighter.

As a result of this incident, Battise said volunteer firefighters at Cloverleaf will be asked to adopt a policy that states that any applicant who fails the criminal background check should immediately be rejected.